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When I started a Jobless Journal

The first interview I had given after my graduation was the one that I cracked. The only interview I had given prior to that was a scam-scene during college when I tried to get into a call centre with fake credentials (don’t ask). And I had failed that miserably due to lack of confidence and my inability to speak up during my webcam interview. (again, scam-scenes, let’s not dig into it too much).

So yeah, the first legit interview I applied for, I got in even though I expected otherwise.

So after I had to quit my first job due to a back injury; I worked hard on building my portfolio (and even my back to some extent). And literally I spent a hell of a lot long for preparing and arranging my portfolio which, ad professionals would know is a tedious process. I was looking for an opportunity which had me learning something new, very new. So I started applying in places and the first one I applied to, called me in, took my interview and wanted me to join ASAP.

Yes, there’s a reason why I mention that in the past tense, because I turned it down. This felt very stupid back then knowing the competitiveness in the job market. I had to turn the opportunity down because I needed more time, more rest and wanted to check out more options to know where I stand in the ad industry.

After a long series of disappointments, I felt like maybe I did make a mistake. Heck, I even started a Jobless Journal! I sort of had the option of going back to my previous workplace. But I had been there for two years; and as much as I loved that place… You have to leave your first job some time.

So after a month’s applying, a couple of interviews that never went forward. I decided to stop applying like an idiot and decided to utilise my break to chill. Enter watching a lot of Mad Men, IPL, writing a blog post a day and sleeping for 12 hours. That felt beautiful. The very next week I got a few calls from recruiters and they sounded pretty positive.

During the same time, a friend told me about an agency slightly afar from home. When I looked it up, I liked the brands they catered to and the way the website was written. Being a guy from print, whose only social media experience was writing social media reviews and managing a couple of pages at my ex-workplace… I was hesitant to apply for a full-time job as content writing was something I never wanted to get into.

So I shoot a message in their ‘Reach out to us…’ form and say ‘Hey, I feel your website, Imma be workin’ freelance for you’ll if you’ll want me to, let me hear it!’

Well something on those lines, slightly formal.

Within 15 minutes I get a call from a guy who asks me to show up at the place for a full-time creative opening. The dude sounded casual and I asked for his name at the end so that I can save the number.

Like every potential applicant should, I started researching on the company. Only to find out that the person who called me is the CEO of the company!

This incident made me feel that if the boss is so calm & casual; the environment there would be something I would dig. And rightly so, I got interviewed, I again thought that I messed up, and maybe I did. But I got called back and the deal was immediately sealed. And the time while we were negotiating and discussing the terms and conditions, I get a call from a huge ad-journalism company (where I had applied and interviewed and they never got back until then). They say that they are interested and even willing to re-negotiate the cash if needed. Split between the two interesting opportunities, I went for the ones who didn’t play hard to get and knew exactly what they wanted. And thus a ‘Tonic’ker I became!

And that became the start point of a whole new journey for my career and aspirations.

So when asked ‘what would be that moment when I took a bold step and started a new life?’ It would be when I picked up Social Media over Journalism after having almost two years of experience in Print & BTL advertising (do not ask me why) and started my new-work life.